We booked our first four-night stay at the Aqua Lotus when a deal showed up on Jetsetter.com. The price was right and the location perfect to our way of thinking: a bit removed from the hustle and noise of Waikiki at the foot of Diamond Head and across the street from Kapi'olani Park.
We booked our second four-night stay because we'd extended our time in Hawaii and the Lotus was worth a return visit.
The ambiance is that of a small boutique hotel. The staff, as others have noted, are professional and friendly. Several times during our second stay, we were recognized as returning guests and welcomed back. The combination of staff, the special touches offered at the hotel, the rooms and location led to our conclusion, that we've found 'our' hotel in Honolulu. We will be back.
Special touches: Morning coffee is provided daily in the lobby -- free copies of the Star-Advertiser newspaper as well. If you prefer in-room coffee, a pot, cups and coffee packets will be provided. Each afternoon complimentary red and white wine, self-served in Reidel wine glasses replace the morning coffee service. The hotel also provides beach towels and chairs as well as bikes for guests to use. Guests are also invited to participate in complimentary yoga classes offered four times a week at 7:30 a.m. Instructors lead the class in Kapi'olani park. (I had never tried a yoga class and participated in this one - it is incredible! The instructor, Courtney, was able to adapt the workout to the ability levels of each participant in the class. The park location was perfect allowing for us to watch the sun rise over Diamond Head.)
The rooms: all have postcard views of Diamond Head (and there's also a beautiful view of Waikiki Beach on the open hallway between the elevator and the rooms.) The amount of water view you have depends on how high your room is and its location in the hotel. Our first stay, we were in an ocean view room, on the eighth floor, on the end of the building which gave us two patios and a view of the water and Diamond Head. On our return visit we spent four nights on a 10th floor room and had a bit more expansive water view. Both rooms were spacious, kept clean by the housekeeping staff that visited during the day and provided an evening turn-down of the delightfully comfortable beds. Rooms have wi-fi access and a small refridgerator. The decks are large with two chairs and a large table and provide spectacular views of Diamond Head.
Hotel location: As noted above, the hotel is to the south of Waikiki, just past the Aquarium. We found it an easy walk through the park to get back to the busier part of town. In fact our hotel's location allowed for us to walk to the top of Diamond Head (7.5 miles round trip) and to Kahala Mall (about 5 miles) quite easily. But for those who don't want to walk, the Honolulu public bus system, TheBus, can take you to the island's major tourist attractions. There's a bus stop close to the hotel and is served by Bus 2 which loops you back to Kuhio Ave. (the heart of Waikiki) or Bus 14 which loops around the base of Diamond Head (past the lighthouse, and near the Kahala Hotel, to the Kahala Mall and Coco Head area. We were provided transfer coupons which were valid for four hours and as a result often didn't need pay for a return trip or provided a free transfer to a bus going to the place we were headed. The hotel front desk can provide a reference sheet and map that tells you which bus to catch to reach tourist destinations such as Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center and points along the North Shore. The cost per adult was $2.50 (we could have purchased a four-day pass for $25 but opted to walk to most destinations.) A rental car isn't necessary.
Restaurants: There was talk that the hotel's second floor restaurant will re-open in the future but for the present time the nearby restaurants offered high-end dining options. As noted above though it was simple to hop the bus to get back into Waikiki where multitudes of eateries at all price ranges are to be found or out to the Kahala Mall where a similar array is available.
Area free attractions: If you stay at the Lotus don't miss the free band concert in Kapi'olani Park on Sunday afternoons, check out the art along the fence of the nearby Honolulu Zoo and if you are lucky, catch one of the free hula shows in the park as well. We were also entertained watching pick-up soccer games in the park from our deck each evening.
The hotel is very close to the Outrigger Canoe Club, a private club that's been a Honolulu tradition since 1908. If you are a member of a club that has a reciprocal membership with the OCC, and plan to use it while in Hawaii, this hotel is perfectly located for easy access. Ask about OCC hotel rates when you call for a reservation.
- Lotus At Diamond Head Honolulu
- Lotus At Diamond Head Hotel
